NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya to serve as acting CDC head

Jay Bhattacharya to lead CDC on acting basis

National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya will become the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He will lead both agencies simultaneously, according to an administration official not authorized to speak publicly.

The move follows the departure of the previous acting CDC director, Health and Human Services Department Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill. O’Neill will be nominated to lead the National Science Foundation.

Agency faces continued leadership instability

Bhattacharya will be the CDC's third leader since last summer. The agency has experienced significant turnover under the current administration.

Susan Monarez was confirmed by the Senate but led the CDC for only 28 days before being fired by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her dismissal came after she refused to preemptively sign off on vaccine policy changes.

Recent policy shifts under O'Neill

Following Monarez's ouster, Jim O’Neill served as acting director. During his tenure, he authorized significant changes to federal vaccine guidance.

Most notably, O’Neill signed off on a policy to reduce the number of recommended pediatric vaccines. This move aligned with the administration's broader skepticism toward established immunization schedules.

Bhattacharya's controversial background

Bhattacharya is a controversial figure in public health, known for his stance during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which argued against lockdowns and for focused protection of the vulnerable.

His appointment signals a continued shift in the administration's public health approach, prioritizing individual choice over mandates. Key aspects of his public health philosophy include:

• Strong opposition to lockdowns and business closures
• Skepticism toward vaccine mandates for low-risk populations
• Advocacy for early treatment protocols over mass vaccination campaigns

Implications for the nation's health agencies

Leading both the NIH and CDC places enormous responsibility on Bhattacharya. The two agencies have a combined budget of over $50 billion and employ tens of thousands of scientists and public health professionals.

This consolidation of power under a single leader with a defined ideological stance is unprecedented. Public health experts have expressed concern that it could politicize science and erode trust in the nation's premier health institutions.

The administration, however, views it as a way to streamline decision-making and implement its vision more efficiently across the public health bureaucracy.